Present tense

As is common in Gaelic, there is no present tense form of the verb. When a simple present meaning ("I do something") or a progressive meaning (I am doing something is intended, the periphrastic construction is used with the present tense of the verb bi (be), i.e., tha, along with the verbal noun.

Tha

mi

a'

dèanamh

be.pres

1s

prog

do.vn

I'm doing/I do

Future tense

The future tense in Gaelic is used to express the idea that an event will happen sometime after the speech time. Unlike English, the future tense can also be used with a present tense meaning, to express the idea that an action is habitual.

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

Relative Future1

1

nì mi

an cluinn mi

cha chluinn mi

nach cluinn mi

a nì mi

2

nì thu

an dèan thu

cha dèan thu

nach dèan thu

a nì thu

3 masc

nì e

an dèan e

cha dèan e

nach dèan e

a nì e

3 fem

nì i

an dèan i

cha dèan i

nach dèan i

a nì i

1 pl

nì sinn

an dèan sinn

cha dèan sinn

nach dèan sinn

a nì sinn

2 pl

nì sibh

an dèan sibh

cha dèan sibh

nach dèan sibh

a nì sibh

3 pl

nì iad

an cluidèannn iad

cha dèan iad

nach dèan iad

a nì iad

Note:

the relative future is used after certain particles such as ma or the particle used with questions a.

Note that in the relative future and declarative future the pronoun tu is used in lieu of thu.

Impersonal/Passive Voice

Gaelic verbs don't technically have a Passive verb form. Instead the passive is typically represented through a periphrastic construction using the verbs Rach or Tha + the passive marker air. It does, however, have an impersonal form. The Impersonal is used to indicate an indeterminate subject. Chualas can be best translated as "someone heard". Use of a pronoun is completely optional. So "Chualas" is a completely well-formed sentence. When used with a pronoun, the pronoun represents the logical object of the verb. So "chualas mi" means "Someone heard me". This is often translated as "I was heard", hence the typical "passive" label.

Since Gaelic doesn't distinguish between subject and object pronouns (unlike it's sibling Modern Irish), it is very difficult to determine if these pronouns are subjects or objects. We list them here as if they were subjects, with the understanding that the pronouns in the following tables represent the logical objects of the verb (the person who was heard, not the hearer).

Past tense

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

rinneadh mi

an do rinneadh mi

cha do rinneadh mi

nach do rinneadh mi

2

rinneadh tu1

an do rinneadh tu

cha do rinneadh tu

nach do rinneadh tu

3 masc

rinneadh e

an do rinneadh e

cha do rinneadh e

nach do rinneadh e

3 fem

rinneadh i

an do rinneadh i

cha do rinneadh i

nach do rinneadh i

1 pl

rinneadh sinn

an do rinneadh sinn

cha do rinneadh sinn

nach do rinneadh sinn

2 pl

rinneadh sibh

an do rinneadh sibh

cha do rinneadh sibh

nach do rinneadh sibh

3 pl

rinneadh iad

an do rinneadh iad

cha do rinneadh iad

nach do rinneadh iad

Notes:

The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu

Present tense

The use of a passive in the present tense is odd, even in English. We leave this blank here

Future tense

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

Relative Future1

1

nithear mi

an dèanar mi

cha dèanar mi

nach dèanar mi

a nithear mi

2

nithear thu

an dèanar thu

cha dèanar thu

nach dèanar thu

a nithear thu

3 masc

nithear e

an dèanar e

cha dèanar e

nach dèanar e

a nithear e

3 fem

nithear i

an dèanar i

cha dèanar i

nach dèanar i

a nithear i

1 pl

nithear sinn

an dèanar sinn

cha dèanar sinn

nach dèanar sinn

a nithear sinn

2

nithear sibh

an dèanar sibh

cha dèanar sibh

nach dèanar sibh

a nithear sibh

3 pl

nithear iad

an dèanar iad

cha dèanar iad

nach dèanar iad

a nithear iad

Notes

the relative future is used after certain particles such as a the particle used with questions, or ma "if".

Conditional Mood

Active

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

dhèanainn1

an dèanainn

cha dèanainn

nach dèanainn

2

dhèanadh tu2

an dèanadh tu

cha dèanadh tu

nach dèanadh tu

3 masc

dhèanadh e

an dèanadh e

cha dèanadh e

nach dèanadh e

3 fem

dhèanadh i

an dèanadh i

cha dèanadh i

nach dèanadh i

1 pl

dhèanadh sinn (dhèaneamaid3)

an dèanadh sinn (an dèaneamaid3)

cha dèanadh sinn (cha dèaneamaid3)

nach dèanadh sinn (nach dèaneamaid3)

2 pl

dhèanadh sibh

an dèanadh sibh

cha dèanadh sibh

nach dèanadh sibh

3 pl

dhèanadh iad

an dèanadh iad

cha dèanadh iad

nach dèanadh iad

Notes:

The 1st person singular form is never used with an overt pronoun, the verb contains the pronoun already.

The pronoun tu is used here instead of thu

The 1st person plural has a special inflected form, which like the first person singular is never used with a pronoun. This 1st person plural form is rarely used anymore.

passive

Declarative

Question

Negative

Negative Question

1

dhèante mi

an dèante mi

cha dèante mi

nach dèante mi

2

dhèante thu

an dèante thu

cha dèante thu

nach dèante thu

3 masc

dhèante e

an dèante e

cha dèante e

nach dèante e

3 fem

dhèante i

an dèante i

cha dèante i

nach dèante i

1 pl

dhèante sinn

an dèante sinn

cha dèante sinn

nach dèante sinn

2 pl

dhèante sibh

an dèante sibh

cha dèante sibh

nach dèante sibh

3 pl

dhèante iad

an dèante iad

cha dèante iad

nach dèante iad

Imperative Mood

The Imperative mood is used when giving a command. 2nd person imperatives are the most common. In English these are translated with by just the verb "Do!". 1st and 3rd person imperatives translated loosely as "Let me do", "let us do", "let he/she/them do". The 1st person plural and third person imperatives are the same as the conditional forms except without lenition